Which Is The Better Choice, Compatible Ink Cartridges Or Name Brand Ink Cartridges?

By Author: John Pickering
Total Articles: 4762
Comment this article

Ink cartridges have been designed to be easily replaceable to keep your printer going strong. The ink cartridges, which spread the ink onto the paper during the printing process, each contains one or more partitions of ink so that it is possible to print in black and white or color. When these containers become empty, consumers must find a replacement cartridge (or cartridges, as the case may be). This is when consumers face the question: which is the better choice, compatible ink cartridges or name brand ink cartridges?

The answer is... it depends on you.

Name brand ink cartridges are made by the same original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that manufactured the printer the cartridges go into. Each printer manufacturer creates and patents their ink under their own brand name. Some of the more popular manufacturers are Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, Lexmark, and Xerox. The manufacturers design their name brand ink cartridges to fit perfectly in specific printers in their lineup. Each manufacturer makes different models of printers and creates corresponding ink cartridges for them. Therefore, not only does an ...
... Epson printer owner have to buy Epson ink cartridges if they want to use the name brand, they also have to get the specific cartridge to fit their particular Epson model.

Most of the name brand manufacturers have two sizes of ink cartridges for each printer model. The regular size can be labeled as moderate yield, meaning it is intended for typical office or home printer usage. They also offer a higher yield printer cartridge that lasts longer because it contains more ink. The printer manufacturers create these two sizes of ink cartridges to best match different consumers' production and financial needs.

Buying name brand ink cartridges gives consumers confidence their printer will perform optimally because the printer and cartridge are made by the same company. After all, who knows a machine better than the manufacturer themselves? And most manufacturers in any industry recommends only using OEM parts in their products. The issue when buying name brand replacement cartridges is that they are so expensive, leading consumers to seek out more economical options.

Some consumer looking for a cost effective method to replace their ink may choose refill kits. These kits employ a needle to inject new ink into an old cartridge. However, this can be very messy, and it does not even work in each situation due to how certain cartridges are made. Some inkjet cartridges cannot be pierced. Epson even puts a digital chip in their cartridge case that tells the printer when the ink is out. Without a replacement chip the printer rarely works with the old case. With these obstacles, and the rise of compatible ink cartridges, kits are rarely used today.

In recent years consumers have turned to compatible ink cartridges as the best economic answer to their ink needs. Compatible ink cartridges are an effective alternative to the original manufacturer ink cartridges, as they are built to mimic the exact design of the name brand ink cartridges. There is no loss of quality with the compatible ink cartridges. But because they don't carry the manufacturer's name brand on the label, they are much more cost effective versus brand name products.

Compatible ink cartridges are made for all the most popular printer brands. These cartridges have been designed to perfectly fit their specific printers, meet the durability and production needs of the consumer, and do so at a lower cost. Compatible ink cartridges for Epson printers are even manufactured with the memory microchips applicable to Epson printer, allowing the fast and steady printing and the low ink alert you get with Epson's name brand ink cartridges. There are also high quality compatible remanufactured ink cartridges available for other printer brands like HP. These products have been recycled by placing new ink into an old cartridge and then reselling it. Remanufactured ink cartridges undergo testing to ensure the product is the same quality as the original manufacturer product.

The evolution of compatible ink cartridges has stirred a debate regarding the quality of the compatible products versus the brand name cartridges. High quality compatible ink cartridges do produce similar, if not identical, quality to name brands. Despite the numerous studies and tests comparing compatible cartridges to name brands, however, many people still hold the belief that compatible products are not giving the long lasting results consumers want. If you stick to a reputable manufacturer of compatible ink cartridges, you typically will receive high quality results.

Just like Epson, Lexmark, HP, and the other manufacturers, compatible ink cartridge manufacturers typically provide two sizes of ink cartridge. The high yield lasts longer and prints more pages than the moderate yield. They too want to make sure that they cater to the production levels and finances of their consumers, so that the decision to buy them is made that much easier. When the compatible ink cartridge manufacturers make the same sizes as the name brand manufacturers, it makes this part of the comparison completely equal.

It should be noted that in considering quality versus cost with reputable compatible ink cartridges, the consumer typically find the products worth their money. Thus compatible ink cartridges are a good alternative to brand name products. When answering the question of whether compatible or brand name ink cartridges are better, the answer really lies in what type of person you are. Do you feel more comfortable knowing the ink cartridge is made by the same manufacturer as the printer itself, and not mind paying extra for that assurance? Or do you prefer to save money, not minding that the part is made by another company as long as you get quality printing results? That answer will lead you to your purchase. Luckily, many online and "brick and mortar" stores offer both name brand and compatible ink cartridges, so no matter which way you lean you should have no problem finding what you want.
About Author:
John Pickering is the owner of EezyTrade.co.uk, an online retailer of new and refilled inkjet cartridges for Brother, HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark and Xerox printers. Visit us online today for epson inkjet cartridges and more and begin saving.